552 SOLANACEM. 
described were observed, and the temperature fell as low as 
31%5 C 
’ The fatal dose of solanine administered by the stomach is ‘30 
gram. per kilo body weight; death takes place in 12 hours. 
In dogs injections into the stomach cause violent. vomiting, 
which interferes with the absorption of the poison. 
_ Solanidine has similar properties, but is much less active 
than solanine; it has no local irritant action. The author 
classes these substances with the sapotoxins, such as quillaic 
acid, sapotoxin, senegin, cyclamin, &c. 
Description.— 8S. niyrum is an erect annual or biennial, 
stem angled, with spreading or diffuse branches, one to three 
feet high, glabrous, or pubescent, with simple hairs, without 
prickles, but the angles of the stem sometimes raised and smooth 
dr rough, with prominent tubercles; leaves petiolate, ovate- 
oblong, attenuated at both ends, 1 to 3 inches long, entire or 
repandly toothed; flowers small and white, in little cymes, 
contracted into umbels on a common peduncle, from very short 
to nearly an inch long; calyx 5-toothed or lobed tothe middle ; 
corolla deeply lobed, 3 to4 lines in diameter; anthers very’ 
obtuse and short; opening in terminal slits, which are often 
continued down the sides ; berry small, globular, usually moans) 
black, but sometimes yellow or dingy red. 
- §. duleamara isa woody scandent plant, with numerous 
glabrous or sparingly pubescent branches, leaves ovate or 
oblong, subentire, lobed or lyrate, peduncles extra-axillary ;. 
eymes Jaxly panicled; calyx-teeth small, obtuse ; corolla purple. 
~ The berries are 4 inch in diameter, globose, red; seeds. 
numerous, ;/, inch indiameter, smooth. The fresh plant has a 
fetid odour, which it loses when dried. Taste at first bitter, 
afterwards sweetish. 
< Chemical composition. — The most important constituent of 
S. nigrum is Solanine, which was discovered in the berries by’ 
a Desfosses in. 1821; This base has been represented by various 
: pee formule. saw ro 8, Boa analyses Jead to ithe fs formula 
